The GRIND
by Kemi-The-Tormentor
Summary: [LAWL, suggestive title] Welcome to the slums of Twilight Town, where anything can happen. Sex, drugs, violence... it's a cruel world out there. But one day, Roxas finds shelter in a small coffeehouse, where, perhaps by fate, he meets two strange men...
1. A Touch of Destiny

Hey guys, it's been a long tiiiime. I know, I know, everyone wants more Fruba, but the honest truth is, I just can't write it anymore. I tried. I can't. SO… instead, I bring you my first yaoi!

YES, I REPEAT, THIS IS **YAOI**. IF YOU DON'T LIKE YAOI, USE COMMON SENSE. DON'T READ. KTHNX.

As I was saying, this is my first yaoi, featuring my favorite pairing! I won't say who it is though; I'll let you figure it out on your own. It'll become more obvious in later chapters anyway.

This story is rated **M**. Not because it's sex-filled in every chapter, much to your disappointment, but because it'll probably happen later. My first lemon! Awwww… :D

Another warning to all; THIS IS AN A.U. (Alternate Universe). I know, you're probably all bashing your skulls in at this point, but please, I do think it came out nicely.

Yes, my pacing sucks. Yes, I put a lot of drama in my writing. Please stop telling me things I already know, it's rather annoying. KBAI.

Well, without further adieu… -gulp- here's my first bit of writing in forever. Enjoy.

* * *

Roxas shivered as a chill wind swept over his bare arms, and pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. Long gone were the pleasantly warm days of autumn; traces of winter hung silently in the air. The sky was bleak, and piles of dead leaves littered the streets. Kicking off his board, Roxas cruised down the street. Sora, Riku, and he were to study together that afternoon, which probably wouldn't go well, considering Sora and Riku's limited attention spans. A few blocks away, however, something caught his eye. A building, not too unlike the others that lined the street, but this building stood out to Roxas. On the roof was bright, neon lights, which spelled out "The Grind", accompanied by a large artsy coffee cup with clichéd steam zigzagging from the top. "Since when do we have a coffee shop?" Roxas muttered to himself. He felt tempted to walk inside, but instead glanced at his watch. Another time, he decided. Riku and Sora were expecting him. 

"Dude, Riku, you've _got_ to hit this."

Riku glanced down at the coffee table, where the bright white powder laid out in neat, horizontal lines. Grinning, he got down on his knees and bent over, pressing his finger over his left nostril. Then, he proceeded to inhale the powdery substance, until he reached the end of the line. Almost instantly, he was hit by the familiar sensation; his heart fluttered, his vision became blurred, a tremendous amount of energy exploded inside him.

"Holy shit Sora, this stuff is potent! Where'd you buy this?" He asked his spiky-haired friend.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Sora responded with a mischievous grin. "Awe, come on, tell me!" Riku insisted. But before Sora could respond, he burst out in laughter. "Professor Vexen!" He managed to say. Soon enough, Riku had joined him in his fit of hilarity. "The _math teacher_?!"

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Roxas' figure emerged. "Sorry I'm late guys." The blond responded, shifting his board to his other arm as he walked in. "I was-"

He stopped in his tracks when he spotted the white lines on the table.

His eyes traveled from the drugs, to Sora, then back again, as the scene finally registered in his mind.

"You said you quit!" He exclaimed. Riku laughed at that, and nudged Sora. "Lighten up, kid, he only had a little bit. You should try some too; it'll make you feel a lot better."

"Yeah Roxy, lighten up." Sora chuckled, nudging Riku back. Roxas, who found himself lost for words, turned, and ran back out.

'_How could he?_' Roxas thought, as he ran down the street. '_He promised me… he promised me he'd quit!_'

Now it had begun to rain, an ironic touch to worsen his mood. Now he was miserable _and_ wet. Seeking shelter, he found himself wandering into the same coffee shop he had noticed earlier that day. He found a vacant table in the back of the room, sat down, and began to cry. There was nothing he could do at this point, he realized. Sora was forever slaved to the tyrant known as cocaine. It was Seifer's fault too, he knew. Seifer had gotten Riku into drugs back in middle school. It wasn't long then before Riku pressured Sora into trying it.

"Hey, kid, you okay?"

Roxas slowly looked up at who was speaking to him. It was a man, not too much older than himself. He was tall and slim, with red, spiky hair, and bright green eyes, which had an upside-down triangle tattooed under each one. Behind him was another man; about the same age, same build. He had a light brown mullet, and blue eyes. Both men wore black shirts, with the same artsy coffee cup that was on the roof embedded on them, and black pants. The man with red hair wore an apron over his, with the words "The Grind" over the top, and the man with brown hair wore a black choker with short metal spikes, a black belt with metal studs, and a second belt decorated with music notes, topped with a treble cleft belt buckle. His arms were decorated with various wristbands and bangles, and Roxas noticed a tattoo of yet another music note on his neck.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…" Roxas mumbled. He tried not to stutter, but he was shivering.

"You're soaking wet!" The man with the mullet pointed out. The other man walked to the other side of the room and disappeared behind the counter. A few moments later, he emerged with a bundle of clothes folded over his arm.

"Here, go change out of those."

Roxas was a bit hesitant, as he was being offered clothes by some random stranger, but after a moment, he grabbed the clothing and hugged it to his chest. "Uh… thank you." He muttered.

It was then, while looking for the restroom, that he was actually able to get a look at the place. It was pretty big for a coffee joint, with an L shaped counter, and a stylishly decorated dining room. All around him were orange tables and chairs, a vase with flowers atop each table. To his right were a fireplace, a stereo, and a small black coffee table, with a bigger vase with flowers, and a chess board. Then, directly ahead of him, was a hallway, which he found lead to the restroom.

While Roxas was changing, the man with the mullet sat and waited silently, while the redhead attended to some customers. After taking their orders, he brought two cups of coffee out to his co-worker, then went back to making the customer's drinks. The brown haired barista took a sip, then looked over at the bathroom, where Roxas was coming out, donned in a black-coffee-cup shirt that was way too big for him. He walked back over to the table where the man was waiting, and sat.

"Go ahead, drink some."

Roxas stared uneasily at the cup in front of him. The brown haired man chuckled. "We didn't poison it, you know."  
Giving a little smile, Roxas went ahead and took a sip. It was _good_ too, not that Roxas knew anything about coffee, but it had a nice, rich taste. The man watched him drink, smiling. "My name's Demyx, by the way." He said. "And his name's Axel." His, Roxas figured, meant the redheaded man.

"…Roxas." He mumbled.

"Huh?"

"My name. My name is Roxas." He said, a little louder.

"Nice name. Can I call you Roxy for short?" He said, smirking playfully. Roxas frowned at that, and was reminded of Sora. He had always called Roxas 'Roxy'. Demyx must have noticed that this had upset him, and laughed. "Kidding, kidding! Roxas is fine!"  
An awkward silence followed, and Demyx looked down at his cup.

"Are… you okay? I mean, I couldn't really tell because you were wet, but it looked like you were crying. I guess it isn't my business, but…"

Roxas stared out the window. "No, it's alright." He said, then paused for a moment. "It's about a friend of mine. He… has a drug problem, and I just don't know what to do. I mean, he promised me he would quit, and he did for a really long time, but… he's doing it again. He's my best friend, and we've known each other since we were kids, and I…"

He paused again.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this. I'm sorry… I guess I'm just a little shaken up over this whole mess."

It was then he became aware of Axel's presence. "Have you considered rehab?" He asked seriously, as he pulled up a chair.

Roxas took that moment to take another sip of coffee.

"No." He said, setting the cup down. "He won't even _talk_ about his problem, let alone consider going to rehab. It's almost like… he knows what he's doing is wrong, but he doesn't want to acknowledge it."

"Then you need to talk to him. You need to sit him down, and have a long talk about it." Axel said, and another awkward silence followed.

"Hey." Demyx suddenly said, smiling. "Me and Axel have a gig at Superworld on Saturday. How would you like to come along?"  
Superworld was an amusement park a few miles away. Roxas couldn't help but burst out laughing at the thought of them in clown suits.

"What's so funny?" Axel demanded.

"I'm sorry…" Roxas said between laughs. "I just… think you guys… would make great clowns!"

"Clowns?" The two men said in unison, looking at each other, then joining Roxas' laughter.

"We're not clowns." Demyx said, after calming down. "We're musicians." "That's right." Axel joined in. "Demyx plays the guitar, and I play the keyboard."

"Really?" Roxas exclaimed. "You're in a band? That's so cool!"

Demyx took another sip of coffee and smiled. "I'll take that as an 'I'd love to go with you guys!'" Roxas looked down shyly. "I guess… if it's no trouble…"

Just then, a customer walked in. Axel and Demyx got up.

"Well, we have a lot of work to do. So how about we meet here, Saturday morning?" Axel said, winking.  
"Okay…" Roxas replied, and stood. Axel walked behind the counter, then returned a few moments later with an umbrella. "Take this. Wouldn't want you to get wet again." And with that, he began to walk back behind the counter.

"Wait." Roxas called after him. Axel turned around, and Demyx poked his head out from behind the counter. "…Thank you…" Roxas said quietly. "For listening. It really made me feel better."

"Anytime, kid." Axel responded, Demyx nodding in agreement.

Walking outside, however, Roxas' mood began to dampen. He knew that they were right; He was going to have to talk to Sora about his problem. Sighing, he opened the umbrella and began to make his way home.

* * *

Whew. That took a lot out of me. I haven't written anything in sooooo long. Many thanks to Kiri-chan for giving me inspiration, and pretty much forcing me to start writing again. 

I'm sure you guys are like "WTF Sora is on t3h drugz?" Yeah. I told you this was an A.U. Get over it.

Anyways, see you next time:3

Kemi.


	2. Illusion

Hey everybody, I'm back with another chapter (it's about time, right? Sorry for the wait). I'm surprised actually, that I already have some fans. Me and Kiri made the outline for this story as a joke, to be completely honest, but I guess my writing makes it good? Actually, I felt that the first chapter was really crappy. Oh well, I'm enjoying writing this, and you're enjoying reading this, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Now, on to the reason you're here. XD

* * *

It was a while before Sora returned home. He was, Roxas knew, still with Riku, and possibly Seifer too. Sighing, Roxas plopped down onto his bed. He and Sora had been living together for almost four years now, since they entered high school together. Sora had been staying with a temporary family until he was old enough to live on his own, whereas Roxas simply emancipated himself. They both knew each others pasts, though they never spoke of it. For Sora, it had started when he was a very small child. His parents divorced, and his mother, stricken with grief, had taken it out on him. She had starved him, beaten him, and even molested him. The trauma was severe. Sometimes Roxas would wake up in the middle of the night and find him curled up in a ball in the corner of the room. If Roxas even tried to touch him, Sora would start to scream. It was no surprise that, if given the opportunity, he would find an escape in drugs. Roxas had tried to keep him away from shady people, but he had made the mistake of thinking that Seifer was an okay guy. 

The bedroom door opened, breaking Roxas' train of thought. Sitting up, Roxas took a deep breath as Sora wandered in.

"Heya Roxy, what's up?" Sora mused, a distant look on his face.

"Can… we talk?" Roxas said quietly.

"Sure, Roxy, what do you want to talk about? We can talk about music, or cars, or lemonade!" With that, Sora burst into a fit of laughter.

It was no use. There was no way Roxas could get through to him while he was like this. He would have to wait until Sora sobered up. "Never mind." Roxas said. "I forgot what I was going to say." Laying back down, Roxas got under his covers and shut his eyes tightly, but couldn't get to sleep. He could hear Sora rambling on the other side of the room. A tear escaped Roxas' closed eyelid, and trickled down his face. He hadn't realized how bad it really was until now. He wondered if it was too late now, to save his friend.

Roxas didn't remember falling asleep.

"What's with you Roxas? That's like the tenth time you've yawned since we got on the train. Did you sleep at _all_ last night?"

Roxas looked over at Demyx and smiled. "I did, I'm just still sleepy for some reason." He lied. "Well, wakey-wakey!" Demyx said, ruffling his hair. "We're going to be there soon, and I want you to be awake when we play."

Roxas turned and stared out the train window, watching the scenery pass by. "Yeah."

"Ro-xy!"

Before Roxas could turn around again, an arm swung around his shoulder. "Quit being so gloomy!" Axel beamed. "We're here!"

'_Why is he so cheerful all of a sudden?_' Roxas wondered as they got off the train together. '_When we met, he seemed so serious…_'

Almost as if reading his mind, Demyx gave a chuckle as Axel sprinted ahead. "He's always like this before a gig. Never seen him get the jitters. He loves being up on stage… or maybe it's more like he loves playing his keyboard for other people."

"Come on, slow pokes!" Axel called.

Demyx dug his hands in his left pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Yeah, yeah." He called back, pulling one out and lighting it. After taking a long drag, he looked over at Roxas. "Crap, I'm sorry, I never asked if it would bother you." Roxas blinked a few times, then realized he meant the cigarette. "No, it's alright."

They walked along in silence as Demyx took another drag off of his cigarette. "Well, we need a little while to set up, you know. Why don't you go have some fun?"

It was true that Roxas had never been to Superworld before, but at the same time, he didn't want to leave his new friends. As if reading his mind, Demyx waved his hand. "Don't worry about us." He said. "We aren't going to ditch you, we just don't want you to be bored. Setting up can be a rather long and drawn out process. Go on, enjoy yourself."

Looking at the ground, Roxas nodded shyly. Demyx caught this, and chuckled. "Cute." was all he said, before walking further ahead, leaving Roxas alone. '_But…_' Roxas thought, as he started to wander. '_…it wasn't just that. Amusement parks are no fun when you're by yourself. It just feels lonely, watching all those couples and friends enjoying themselves while you're alone._' He looked up as a roller-coaster soared over him, various people screaming as they whooshed by. '_I kind of wanted to share it with them._' A small voice in his head admitted, guiltily. Giving a small sigh, Roxas made his way over to a cotton candy stand and bought a small cone. A girl with dark hair quickly got behind him, bought herself a cone, and stood a few feet away from him as she ate, eyeing him. '_What's with her?_' Roxas thought as he nibbled the sugary treat. After a few moments, he forgot the girl, and started to wonder about how Sora was doing. Usually, Sora worked at a small restaurant on Saturdays, but he used to skip out on occasion to hang out with Riku. Roxas wondered if he would start doing that again, and frowned.

"Um… excuse me…"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Roxas realized the girl from before was talking to him. "Huh?"

"I was just wondering… are you here… alone?"

Roxas stared at her. What kind of question was that supposed to be? Although it was true, that wasn't something you usually went around asking strangers. Despite her oddness, Roxas noticed that she was extremely cute. Her red-brown hair just barely reached her narrow shoulders, which were complemented by her nice, thin frame. She wore a white, puffy button up shirt with a lacey collar, layered under a pink and white floral dress. The white sneakers were a nice touch too, as they matched, but saved the outfit from being too girly. The thing that stuck out the most, however, was her eyes, which were a deep, ocean blue, with just the slightest hint of green. She smiled sweetly. "Sorry, that didn't come out right." She said, then paused. "…what I meant was… I'm here alone too, and I was just wondering… I mean, you looked kind of lonely, and I'm bored… I guess I was just trying to ask you if you wanted to hang out."

Well, she certainly was forward.

"Um… I guess so, but I have somewhere to be in a little bit."

"Ohhhh, I see, you're waiting for someone." She said, frowning.

"No, no, nothing like that!" Roxas exclaimed. "Some friends of mine are performing here in a little while… and I promised them I'd watch."

Suddenly her eyes widened. "You don't mean 'Illusion', do you?"

"Uhh…" Roxas stammered. Demyx and Axel had never told him the name of their band. He gave an uncertain nod, and she squealed. "Wow, what a coincidence, I came here to see them too! I love 'Illusion', they're like my favorite indie-rock band! You're friends with them? Can you get me Luxord's autograph?! Or Demyx's would be cool too!"

'_So that _is_ their band._' Roxas thought as the girl went on. "Um, I don't know Luxord… I know Demyx though… I suppose I could ask him-OOFF!"

The girl had flung her arms around him. "Thank you so much!"

Roxas stood there for a moment, stunned. "Uh… you're welcome…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The girl said, stepping backwards a bit. "I never even told you my name. It's Kairi."

"My name's Roxas." He said quietly.

"So, now that we've introduced ourselves, let's go on some rides!" She said cheerfully, grabbing his hand and dragging him along with her.

Her first target was 'The Gusher'; a roller coaster famed for it's 220 foot drop. It was then when Roxas realized he had never ridden on a roller coaster before in his life, and he was now deathly frightened of the massive jungle of metal before him.

"Um… is it alright if I… um… go to the bathroom?" Roxas squeaked, but it seemed as though Kairi didn't hear him. "It doesn't look like the line is too long, we should be able to squeeze into the next ride." She muttered to herself. "Come on Roxas!" Roxas gave a yelp as Kairi grabbed his hand again, pulling him into the line.

Roxas eyed the ride nervously. '_You can do this, Roxas… It's just a stupid ride, right?_' He swallowed loudly as Kairi pulled him into his seat.

"You ready, Roxas?" She squealed. "I love this ride!"

'_She's insane!_' Roxas' thought, his eyes widening as she giggled.

'_And yet…_

_for some reason, her crazy grin makes me feel a little calmer._'

His thoughts dissipated, though, when the carts lurched forward. All color drained from his face as they slowly crawled up the mountain of steel. When they made it to the top, Roxas screamed before the carts even began to descend.

WHOOSH!

He could hear Kairi laughing and whooping in the seat next to his. Shutting his eyes tightly, he began to yell again. '_This is it…!_' Roxas' mind screamed as they went through a loop. '_I'm going to die here. I'm going to fall out of my seat and die… or maybe we'll get stuck, or maybe the carts will fly off the tracks, or maybe… maybe…'_

SCREECH!

"OW!" Roxas yelped as his body lurched forward. He opened his eyes to find himself at the end of the ride.

…

"Wasn't that fun?!" Kairi exclaimed as the attendant let her out of her seat.

…

"Roxas…? You okay?"

…

"That…" Roxas muttered. "That… was… it? I didn't… die?"

"Die?" Kairi said, cocking her head. "Silly, of course not!"

Roxas got out of his seat, slowly. He was still shaking, but at the same time, he was smiling. '_Now that it's over… it was almost kind of… fun!_' Remembering his thoughts from earlier, he gave a nervous laugh. Thinking he was going to die _was_ a little childish.

"Oh no!"

Pulled from his thoughts, Roxas looked over at Kairi, who was staring at her watch, frantically. "If we don't hurry, we won't make it in time!" she screeched. "'Illusion' is supposed to go on in almost five minutes!"

'_Crap!_' Roxas thought, grabbing her hand this time, and pulling her through the crowded amusement park. '_They're the whole reason I'm here in the first place! They'll kill me if I'm late! …Aw, crap, it's starting to get dark too!_'

"Roxas, the stage is that way!" Kairi whined, pointing in the opposite direction. Roxas moaned in frustration, sprinting now, in the correct direction. After a few moments, he spotted it. The only problem was…

"It's _packed_!" Roxas exclaimed, partially in awe, partially in horror. "How are we supposed to get to the front?"

But Kairi was already kicking, shoving, and even biting her way through the crowd. "Crazy bitch!" yelled a random man, rubbing his arm tenderly where she had bit him. "Screw you!" She called back, accompanied with a rather rude gesture. "Kairi, wait for me!" called Roxas as he desperately attempted to catch up.

They made it to the front just as the announcer began to walk across the stage. The sun was beginning to set, and it cast a dim crimson light over the stage.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!" He boomed. "I'm sure you all know why we're here, so how about we skip the formalities, eh?"

The crowd gave a cheerful cry in agreement.

"Thought so." Chuckled the announcer. "Well then, here they are, Twilight Town's very own 'Illusion'!"

There was a tremendous applause, and the moment the announcer left the stage, the audience hushed, and a soothing melody wafted through Roxas' ears. A lone spotlight shone brightly on a figure towards the left side of the stage.

It was Axel.

His fingers soared across the instrument's mock ivory keys. The sound was angelic; it seemed to fill Roxas' _soul_. He suddenly felt a burning desire to hear Axel play on a _real_ piano. Suddenly, a soft base accompanied him. Another spotlight flashed on, illuminating a man with short, blonde hair, with a bit of matching facial hair, and numerous piercings. Roxas assumed that this man was Luxord, as Kairi let out a squeal.

But Roxas was transfixed on Axel's hands. He was utterly hypnotized by the spider-like, yet graceful and fluid motion… he didn't take his eyes off of him until Demyx stepped into the spotlight, following a blonde woman, strumming his guitar ever so gently. Suddenly, the soft, gentle intro exploded into a spectacular climax, and was then followed by steady, upbeat rhythm. It was then, that the girl began to sing.

_Oh, I can feel these chains now  
__They're bringin' me down  
__They're bringin' me down  
__Below me, there is nothing  
__But darkness…  
__  
__Oh, but suddenly a light  
__Shines brightly above me  
__Brightly above me  
__Blinded, I squinted into the light  
__And saw you…_

The girl's voice was _beautiful_. Whilst everyone around him was yelling and cheering, Roxas simply stood there, dumbfounded. He just could not believe how _awesome_ they all sounded together. It was as if they were born to perform together.

_Please, baby, save me…  
__Wrap me in your everlasting warmth…_

_Take my hand,  
__Take my love,  
__Take my everything,  
__But please, baby, don't leave me,  
_'_Cause I don't think I can make it  
__Without you anymore…  
__  
__I need you…_

Axel and Demyx scanned the crowd and spotted Roxas, almost at the exact same time, and smiled.

It was an evening that Roxas would never forget.

* * *

Yay, I'm a drama queen. :D  
In case anyone is wondering, yes, I am a pianist… so I put a little extra emphasis on Axel's smexy keyboard playing.  
I also work at a coffee shop. I swear, I'm original and creative! -hides-  
Well, um, the song was written by me, so I guess that makes me kind of creative. Don't steal it. D:  
Well, I'll try to get the next chapter out there, but no promises on the date… I suck when it comes to deadlines. God, I'm such a lazy writer. Oh well. 


	3. Aftermath

LAWL. I just realized that I made Luxord a math teacher in the first chapter, and now he's ILLUSION's bassist. I changed it though. Now Vexen's the math teacher (and a cocaine dealer! LULZ!)! P

'Cause Luxord looks more like a bassist.

Anyways, I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I almost didn't, but I had a certain best friend who kept bribing me with things. 3

On to the next chapter!

* * *

Roxas waited eagerly for Axel and Demyx to pack up their things. He and Kairi stood there and chatted, but Roxas wasn't really paying any attention to her. It was getting cold. Roxas had nearly forgotten that it was almost winter. It was a lot warmer during the day. Now he wished he had remembered to being a jacket. 

Suddenly, Axel walked off of the stage, Demyx following closely. They were both beaming, and their cheeks were slightly flushed. "Well? How were we? Did you like it? What was your favorite song?" Axel blurted excitedly.

"You were both amazing, I loved it, and my favorite song was the first one." Roxas replied, with twice the energy.

"Me too!" Kairi exclaimed, eager to join in the conversation.

"'Savior'?" Demyx butted in. "I love that one too, my guitar solo is SO sick!" he paused. "Hey Roxas, who's the chick?"

Roxas blinked for a second, then realized he meant Kairi. He didn't really consider her a 'chick'. She was, despite her extremely girly getup, probably more manly than Roxas. Not to mention twice as insane. "Um… this is Kairi. She's… a fan. We were just kind of hanging out. I kind of promised her your autograph…"

"Autograph!" Demyx exclaimed. "Me? Of course!" As Kairi let out a squeal of delight, he pulled out a pen from his jacket pocket. "I have to admit, I've never given an autograph out before. I almost feel kind of famous!"

"You're kidding!" Roxas exclaimed.

"I wish." Moaned Demyx. "Larxene and Luxord always get the autograph requests. They hog like… 97 percent of our fan-base."

Kairi let out a nervous little laugh as she took the signed paper from the frowning guitarist. "Well, I kind of wanted Luxord's autograph too…"

"Aghh!" Demyx cried. "See what I mean?"

"Axel!"

They turned to see who was calling. A blonde woman, the singer from before, ran up to them. "You…" she huffed. "forgot… you forgot one of your cables, you idiot!" Still struggling to catch her breath, she held out her hand, which was clutching a small, black chord.

"Whoa!" cried Axel. "I could have sworn I grabbed that. Thanks Larxene." She grinned as he took the chord from her. "So, are we still on for dinner?" she asked, but before Axel could respond, she let out a squeal. "Eeeeek! Soooo cute!" She cried, hugging a very frightened Roxas. "Is he _your_ friend, Axel? Can we take him to dinner with us? Oh, he's just so adorable!" "Um…" Demyx stammered, a little frightened himself. "That's Roxas. We just met him the other day."

"No way, Larxene!" Axel spat. "I know how you get when you latch on to someone like that. We're taking Roxas home now. Meet you up there in a little bit." Larxene whined loudly, but Roxas frowned. "Don't… decide things for me!" He growled. "Maybe I _want_ to go!" There was a silence, and then Axel and Demyx were hugging him too. "Awwww! You're so cute when you pout!" Demyx cooed. "Of course you can go!" Axel chimed in. "But Larxene isn't allowed to touch you, okay?"

"Awwww… why not?" Larxene whined.

"Because, I said so." Axel snapped, and then suddenly switched tones again. "Come, Roxy, let's go! You can even bring your friend if you want." Kairi gave a squeal of delight as Axel dragged them both along, Larxene pouting as her and the rest of the gang followed. "Don't just invite random fans…" she grumbled, but was ultimately ignored. Roxas followed Demyx and Axel to a silver car, not too far away. There waited Luxord and another man, the drummer, who Roxas had never even paid attention to. He was kind of short, with gray-ish hair that was parted off to the right. His bangs, oddly enough, were longer than the rest of his hair. It was a stylish cut, Roxas supposed, but it made it hard to see his eyes. Or the rest of his face, for that matter.

"This is Luxord, our bassist." Demyx said happily, pointing at the smirking blond. Luxord gave Kairi a wink, and she swayed a bit. "…and this is our drummer, Zexion." Demyx pointed at the other man, who shifted and gave an uneasy smile. "…Hi." He mumbled.

"Hey, why didn't I get a proper introduction?" whined Larxene.

"Because I'm sure he's had enough of you." Axel growled.

"Hey, cool it." Luxord intervened. "I'm hungry, so let's go, alright?"

"I concur." Said Demyx, with a nod. "Let's hit the usual spot! …If… everybody here doesn't mind…" he added, sheepishly, as he glanced at Roxas. "Um… you guys like Italian… right?"

Thankfully, Roxas did. Kairi didn't really care _what_ they were eating, so long as she could continue living her fantasy. Her and Larxene were hitting it off well; every few minutes Roxas could hear their high pitched giggling. He kind of wondered exactly what was so funny, but decided against joining in on their conversation. Better safe than sorry, he figured. Instead, he found himself sneaking glances at them all throughout the car ride. There was something about the way Kairi laughed that made Roxas smile.

There was no doubt, Kairi was _cute_. Not to mention that she wasn't overly girly. Roxas liked that about her. She seemed… more _real_ than other girls. To Roxas, anyway. Maybe, after getting to know her a little better, he would work up the courage to ask her out.

…Maybe.

Roxas wasn't really good with girls. He had a tendency to get all flustered, his sentences got all… jumbled.

"-Roxas? …Hey… you in there?"

"Huh?"

Roxas looked over at Demyx, who was sitting to his right. "I said, you do have any money with you?" he repeated, with a little smile. Oh. That wasn't something Roxas had thought about. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and pulled it open. There wasn't much, but probably enough for an appetizer or something like that. "Yeah, I have a little." Was all he said. Demyx snickered. "You liar. Don't worry, I'll treat you. This time, anyway." Blushing furiously, Roxas merely nodded in silence. "I just don't understand how you do that." said Demyx, with a little smile. "You're just so sickeningly cute."

"We're here." Zexion said, as he pulled into a parking lot, followed by a "It's about fucking time!"; courtesy of Luxord. Roxas poked his head out the window. It was a _really_ nice looking restaurant, with some fancy looking Italian name that he couldn't understand. Stepping out of the car, he felt his heart sink. There was no _way_ he could let Demyx treat him to a place like this. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked up to see a smirking Axel. "Don't worry, Roxy," he said, seemingly sensing his thoughts. "I know this place looks ritzy, but it's really not all that expensive." Roxas blushed. Why were these guys being so nice to him? They had _just met_ the other day. Was it leftover pity from the other night? Or did they really, genuinely _like_ him? Roxas looked over at Kairi. '_Oh well._' He thought. '_At least I know _she_ likes me._' That, for him, was enough. As they entered the building, Roxas noticed that the interior was almost as nice as the exterior. He was beginning to have his doubts. Perhaps Axel merely said that so that Roxas wouldn't feel bad? But then again, Roxas recalled, the two of them worked in a coffee shop. There would be no need for that kind of work if they were filthy rich.

Roxas also noticed that there was no hostess, something that would be very odd for a fancy restaurant.

"Let's sit by the window!" Demyx said, accompanied by a giddy nod from Kairi. Luxord scowled. "Who the fuck cares where we sit? Let's just sit somewhere and fuckin' eat!" Despite Luxord's grumpy outburst, the crowd followed the happy mullet-man to a booth in the corner of the room. Demyx and Kairi eagerly slid in first, occupying the closest space to the window. Rolling his eyes, Luxord scooted in next to Kairi, with Axel following. Roxas took a step forward, as if to sit next to Axel, but was rejected, as Axel turned sideways and rested his head on Luxord's shoulder, his legs occupying the empty space. Frustrated, he slid into the other side of the booth, next to Larxene, who had already struck up another giggle session with Kairi. Zexion quietly sat next to him.

A man approached them, older, though not by much. He had wild, brown hair, tan skin, and a smile that made the ladies swoon. Donning a black shirt, some slacks, and an apron, he gave a quick bow. "Good evening, gentlemen…" he paused, and flashed another heart-stopping grin. "…ladies…" Even Roxas found himself blushing. The man just seemed to be _radiating_ with such… overpowering _hormones_. "My name is Diego, and I'll be your waiter this evening." With that, he flicked some menus out of his apron pocket and began explaining the evening specials as he handed them out. "Now, what would you all like to drink?" His eyes twinkled as he turned to Axel. "You seem like a coffee kind of guy. How about the Colombian French Roast? It's the darkest, richest coffee we have." At that point, Demyx, who had been trying so hard not to laugh, let out what may have been a stifled giggle, and Axel flushed, scowling. "I work at a coffee shop, actually, so no thanks."

"A coffee shop, you say? A man after my own heart…"

Axel choked on whatever witty comment he had thought of just moments before. He sputtered nonsense for a moment, then growled. "Look man, can you just get me a Mr. Fizz?"

"And I'll just have water…" Demyx piped, as the enchanting waiter began to eye him.

"Mr. Diego?" A voice called. "I'll take a coffee, actually."

Just as Diego began to drop his gorgeous smile, he turned to Larxene and grinned widely. "It would be my pleasure, Kitten." After taking everyone else's drinks, the man finally walked away, leaving the table eerily quiet.

"'Kitten'…?" Luxord scoffed. "Is he allowed to call her that?"

Silence for a moment… and then the table burst into hysterics. "Man, that was weird!" Exclaimed Kairi. "I swear, Axel, he was _so_ hitting on you!"

"Shut up."

"Come on, Axel." Demyx chimed in. "You have to admit, he was looking at you rather… oddly."

"At least he didn't call you 'Kitten'." Scowled Larxene, obviously not fond of the nickname.

"You liked it." Axel teased, dodging various tableware which was being hurled at him.

The table suddenly hushed as Diego came running back.

"Here are your drinks…" He said cheerily as he began setting various beverages in their proper places, though not before giving Axel a little wink. Luxord looked down at him, smirking, which was returned by a glare. "Now, are you guys ready to order?" Diego asked, practically blinding them all with his platinum grin. Fortunately, they were. Roxas had decided to just go with Spaghetti, while everyone else decided to order fancy dishes with strange Italian names. The only other one he recognized was Chicken Parmesan, which was ordered by Zexion. Diego took their menus, and was off to the kitchen.

"Well, before Mr. _Whore_-omones comes back," Larxene said, while lifting her mug. "How about a toast?" The other band members groaned. "Larx, do we _have_ to do this after _every_ show?" Demyx whined, only to be smacked upside the head. "Of course we do!" She snapped in reply. "It's practically a tradition by now. Fucking get over it and raise your damn glasses." Knowing not to push her any further, the table fell silent. "To…" She paused for a moment, then looked over at Roxas and smiled. "To new friends! And a fucking awesome show." With a nod, the others slowly but surely raised their glasses, gave various noises of approval, and took a long sip. Roxas, who ordered a Cola, wrinkled his nose as the fizzy liquid slid down his throat. He didn't usually drink soda, and the carbonation was almost irritating. He wasn't even sure what compelled him to order a soda in the first place, but it wasn't too bad, he supposed.

"So what'dya think?" Axel asked Roxas as everyone else chatted away. "They're not the most exciting group, but you gotta' love these guys."

Roxas gave a little chuckle. "I… like them." Was all he could think to say. "They're nice. _This_ is… nice." A pause. With a sigh, Roxas decided he may as well ask… "I have to wonder why you and Demyx invited me here in the first place. I mean, you guys don't even know me, really."

Now it was Axel's turn to laugh. "Well, to be completely honest, you looked like you needed a good time, and that just happens to be me and Dem's specialty."

Roxas' heart sunk.

"So you really did invite me because you felt bad for me."

"Awe, come on, you didn't let me finish." Whined Axel. "That's why we _invited_ you, but in all honesty, we've actually grown kind of fond of you."

Roxas looked at him skeptically. "In one night?"

"Yup."

"Both of you?"

"Yup."

Silence.

Roxas wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. He decided to take this moment to take another sip of cola. Axel frowned and lowered his voice as he asked; "Did you ever talk to your friend?"

It was a rather long sip.

"No." He finally replied, setting the glass down gently. "I was going to. I waited for him to come home, but…"

Another silence.

"He was fucked up." Axel guessed. After a nod from Roxas, he sighed. "Well that explains why you looked so miserable this morning."

"Look, I don't really want to talk about this right now, alright?"

"Alright." The redhead agreed. "Just cheer up, alright? Me and Dem can't get enough of that cute smile of yours."

"Demyx thinks my smile is cute?"

"So it's weird for Dem to, but not me?" He shot back, grinning. Roxas choked for a second, then reached across the table and smacked him. "That's not what I meant!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly, Diego approached them, setting their meals on the table with a flourish. "Enjoy! Remember, if you need anything, just give me a call." Another flashy smile, and he was gone. Roxas decided to let Axel be and focus on his dinner. Picking up his fork, he realized that it had been ages since he'd eaten anything that remotely resembled noodles. He poked at the pasta, attempting to get something on his fork. It was around this time that he realized that noodle-eating is a skill… a skill that he no longer had.

How fucking embarrassing.

In a desperate attempt to keep attention off of himself, he simply tried to pick up one noodle at a time. It was actually pretty good, as far as Spaghetti goes. A few minutes passed of trivial conversation, when-

"Roxas, what are you doing?"

Shit.

Demyx grinned. "Don't you know how to eat noodles?"

How fucking embarrassing indeed.

"Uhm… well…" Roxas could feel his face turn red. "I haven't really eaten Spaghetti in a long time…"

"Here." Demyx said, reaching his arm around Larxene to get at Roxas' plate. After a "That's really fucking rude, you know." from Larxene, he picked up Roxas' fork and began twirling it around the pasta. "Like this, see?" He pulled his hand back, and Roxas gave it a go. Noodles still hung pitifully off the edge of his fork, but it was better than nothing. Kairi and Axel exchanged snickers as Roxas attempted to eat.

'_I'll never eat Spaghetti again_'. He thought, miserably.


End file.
